Modern computing devices often include a file system that stores information items in various directories or subdirectories (e.g., folders) in a file system hierarchy. Each information item (e.g., a file or a folder) can be given a respective filename. An information item's filename and its file path in the file system hierarchy can be used to uniquely identify the item in the file system.
Each folder can include multiple files and subfolders. A user can delete existing items (e.g., files and folders) from an existing folder, and can add new items (e.g., files and folders) to the existing folder. A user can also move items from one existing folder to another existing folder. Many operating systems also allow a user to create an empty new folder at a desired location in the file system hierarchy, and then move items from various locations in the file system hierarchy to the newly created empty folder. Modern computing devices also provide graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to help the user navigate and manipulate the file system hierarchy and the items stored therein.
A user can group one or more existing items into a new folder through the GUIs of a computing device. The grouping action can be accomplished in several steps. First, the user can create the new folder on the GUI (e.g., the desktop). If the one or more existing items appear on the same GUI as the new folder, the user can select the items and drag them as a group over to the new folder. When the group of items enters the drop zone of the new folder, the user can release the group of items, and the released group of items would become items of the new folder. Alternatively, the user can move the existing items to the new folder from their original locations using one or more “cut and paste” operations in the GUI. For example, after the new folder has been created, the user can select an existing item in the GUI, “cut” the item from its original location, and then “paste” the item into the new folder in the GUI. The “pasted” item now belongs to the new folder.